DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Feb 23 2007
SENTENCE ON MURDERER’S LIFE IMPRISONMENT REMAINED IN FORCE
Hungarian Court of Appeal left in force the life imprisonment
sentence of a lower instance court for Azeri officer Ramil Safarov
for Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian’s murder, the Armenian party’s
lawyer Nazeli Vartanian told IA REGNUM.
In her words, at the Court of Appeal session held February 22
Safarov’s lawyers presented two applications: to carry out a new, 5th
forensic medical examination and not to take into consideration
Safarov’s first testimonies, as they were given in Russian, while his
country’s state language is Azerbaijani. The Azeri party also
petitioned the court to remit the sentence, as Safarov is another
culture’s representative, so Hungarian party cannot understand his
motives, because an Armenian’s assassination is not considered a
criminally punishable act in Azerbaijan.
According to Nazeli Vartanian, the Armenian party presented
counter-petition to leave the lower instance court’s decision in
force. The Armenian side also pointed out that in the 21st century
murders were committed only because of a man’s belonging to either
nation, and the Armenian journalist’s murder in Turkey testified to
the fact. In his turn, Safarov again pleaded not guilty. After the
break the Appeal court made a ruling, according to which the lower
instance court’s decision was considered just and impartial, and left
the decision on Ramil Safarov’s life imprisonment in force. Vartanian
also said the Azeri party actually had no chance to appeal the Court
of Appeal’s decision, though theoretically they can submit the case
to Hungary’s Supreme Court, however, the criteria to take over a case
are quite severe there.
To remind, Lieutenant of RA Armed Forces Gurgen Markarian, who was
sent on an official journey trip to Budapest to participate in the
English language courses in the frames of `Cooperation for Peace’
NATO program, was brutally hacked to death by an ax by the Azeri
officer Ramil Safarov. April 13, 2006 Safarov was sentenced to life
imprisonment without the right to pardon during 30 years.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
